


A Winter's Tale

by Phoebe0901_0915



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, F/M, Ice Skating, Pregnancy, Prompt Fill, Skating, Snow, Story within a Story, Toddlers, Winter, story time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:00:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21893287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebe0901_0915/pseuds/Phoebe0901_0915
Summary: Ezekiel recounts one of the happiest moments of his life in the hope that it will get his eldest to sleep.AU no zombie apocalypse
Relationships: Ezekiel & Carol Peletier, Ezekiel/Carol Peletier
Kudos: 3





	A Winter's Tale

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was for a school competition in which we were given the picture 'Skaters at ST James' Park' by Lisa Graa Jensen and had to create a short story based off of it. It could centre around people or animals visible in the picture or not, the only requirements were that it had to be called 'A Winter's Tale', it had something to do with the picture, and had to fit on 2 sides of A4 paper, hence why it isn't as detailed as I would usually write it and therefore relatively short  
> This is my entry (1st place), though the names were changed in my actual entry just in case someone realised who I was writing about-I did not want to explain that!  
> Hope you enjoy!

"It was three years ago. The winter was another harsh one. Yet again it was well below freezing and when the snow came you certainly knew about it. The way it would scour at your already raw skin after being in the cold was enough to make anyone stay in the warm. Yet the magical thing was - and that's the only way to describe it, yes, magical - once the wind rested and the snow stopped falling, even if only for a moment, people would emerge wrapped in layers of clothing to combat the elements and would proceed to enjoy themselves. The air would carry noises of joy from husband and wife, father and daughter, mother and son, sister and brother. Even the birds seemed to join in as they perched upon their branches singing a song only they could understand. Now that it was Christmas Eve, the wind only seemed to personify everyone's mirth and even those who had fallen over whilst skating had the biggest grins on their faces.

The palace stood great, proud and commanding behind us. Everyone around us was picture perfect, every single on of them. But that's not where our story starts. Oh no, for often the most interesting things are those that are not seen or explicitly mentioned.

Your mother and I were away from the hustle and bustle of the skaters. We had gone with the intention of skating with Auntie Beth and Uncle Daryl, but we had to stop. Your mama tried to hide what she was feeling but failed miserably. She could only just keep her balance, very out of character for an experienced skater like her, and whenever a child would bump into her I could see that it took everything in her not to fall over, on occasion having to reach out and grab my arm for support. Then there was the fact that she was pale. Yes, her skin has always been compared to porcelain, but it lacked the light red blush that came with the cold, rather being filled with a deathly pale hue that made her look ill and masked her usual vivacious spirit that I so admire. I let it go until she practically collapsed in my arms. After that I had to basically drag her off the ice for she didn't want to make a big deal of it, said she 'knew what it was' or whatever and that I needn't worry. But I did because she's my wife and I love her.

So, there we stood, well, I stood. I had made mama sit down on a bench despite her best protests, She insisted that she could stand. Deep down I had no doubts that what she said wasn true, but I wasn't going to let her stand nevertheless. Anyway, there we were, separated from the others and surrounded by the bare structured of the trees successfully muffling the distant cries of joy and laugher coming from the skaters.

I questioned her about it, of course I did, though that didn't mean she answered. She can be quite stubborn when she wants to be. If anyone could overhear the way I was speaking they would have been disgusted with the volume and tone of my voice, but I couldn't help it little one. I really couldn't. I was worried about your mother and she wasn't giving me any details that could help ease my nerves. But eventually I guess she must have seen that the only way I was going to come out of the state I worked myself up in was if I knew what was going on. She jutted her chin towards a tree branch and muttered something about 'ruining the surprise', but I couldn't care less what I had ruined. Besides, I found it infinitely cute the way she reacted, crossing her arms and sighing in defeat as if she were a child being scolded.

There was an envelope. A red ribbon ran through a hole in the corner and it had been tied to the branch, ensuring that nothing would knock the precious information off the safety of the branch and into the wet snow that threatened to ruin whatever the envelope concealed. On the front it read 'Merry Christmas Zeke', written of course in your mama's handwriting.

When I opened it the world seemed to stop.

I could no longer hear the birds chirping or the people's laughter. I could no longer see the blinding white of fresh snow around my boots or feel the bitter cold nipping at my fingers. The only thing my brain could register was the increasing volume of your mother's footsteps crunching in the snow as she approached me, wrapping her arms round my waist and resting her head between my shoulder blades. Part of me was irritated that she had stood up, but the other part screamed at that side to be quiet as the pride and joy consumed every fibre of my being, all because of the black, grey and white lines in that small picture. All because of-"

"Me!"

"Yes, you, my sweet darling girl. Now, do you think you can go to sleep now? If you don't, Santa won't come and you're going to have no presents in the morning"

"I can go to sleep now daddy, promise" she replied, nodding her head enthusiastically as if it in some way proved her point.

"OK Princess, I'll see you in the morning"

As Ezekiel exited the room, the only sound that could be heard was the soft padding of his feet on the floor as he expertly dodged the toys they had left scattered around after the day's activities. He pulled the door to, careful not to shut it fully so that their daughter could get to them in the night if she needed to. As he turned around he was greeted by the rather sleepy, but still grinning, face of Carol, his wife.

"What was it this time?"

"She said she couldn't sleep, so I told her a story. And how's the other one sleeping?"

"Not well" she replies flatly, as if she was fed up with it and just wanted it to be over. The smile on her face told him otherwise.

He placed his hand on her stomach, feeling the soft thump thump thump of their unborn child kicking beneath his palm. One second it went from the storm, the next it transitioned to the calm. He chuckled as Carol rolled her eyes at him. Even with Sophia, their two year old, whenever he was near she would seem to calm down instantly after what felt like an eternity of being kicked in the ribs on Carol's part.

"Of course. Daddy's girl number two calms down for her father after I beg her for hours to give it a rest and let me sleep"

"It's because she knows better than to content with her father. Count it as a good thing My Queen"

"Hmm. You said the same thing with Sophia, yet even as she was being born I swear you were creating a game plan of how to make me run after the both of you the most. What story did you tell her?"

"The best Winter's Tale to ever exist, My Love"

_The End_


End file.
